


How Do I Tell Him?

by Nellie2018



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Sam Winchester Whump, Unfortunate Implications
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-02 18:07:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19446811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nellie2018/pseuds/Nellie2018
Summary: Sam is temporarily incapacitated by Gorkan venom with an unfortunate consequence.  Dean has to break the bad news.





	How Do I Tell Him?

Castiel patiently watched as Dean paced restlessly around the room and heard him sigh deeply and scrub his hand through his short hair, the third time in as many minutes.  
“Dean” he said levelly. “You need to tell him.”   
Dean stopped his pacing and turned to his friend.  
“How Cas? How do I tell him?”  
The Angel looked at him puzzled at how Dean was struggling with such a simple concept.  
“I would think that would be obvious, you just say the words” he stated and was pleased to see a glimmer of a smile cross the tired hunters face.  
“You think it’s that simple? This is Sam we’re talking about.”  
“He’ll find out sooner or later. He would want to hear it from you.”  
“Hell Cas, this is one of the worst things I can think of telling him.”  
Cas stood up. “It is not your fault Dean. It was the Gorkan venom. We both tried our best but the remedy was beyond our efforts. I am sure Sam will understand.”  
Dean looked at the concerned Angel and slumped against the table sighing again.  
He scrubbed his hand through his hair unconsciously once again.  
“You’re right Cas.” he sighed. “How long till he comes round?”  
“The remaining venom will have worked through his system now. He should awaken soon. I would advise that you go and sit with him.”  
Dean nodded and walked stiffly to Sams room, dreading breaking the news to his kid brother.  
“Sorry Sammy” he said quietly as he walked into the room and saw the younger hunter stretched out asleep on the bed.

24 hours earlier

The two young hunters trudged through the woods, stepping carefully around broken branches and muddy puddles.  
Dean stopped, bent down and studied the footprints in the mud before him. “They seem pretty fresh, it can’t be too far ahead.” He rose to his feet and scanned the pathway in front of him and called quietly to his younger brother. “Come on Sammy. We need to gank the Gorkan before we lose the light.”  
Sam laughed. “That’s a new one. I’ve never been on a gank the Gorkan hunt before.”  
Dean joined in. “Never a dull day if you stick with me Sammy boy”.   
They continued on their quest. They were hunting a Gorkan, a supernatural creature who had recently reawoken after a 20 year sleep and fed on an unlucky local ranger. Sam ran through the list of facts he had researched as he walked behind his brother.  
Gorkan, carnivore, sleeps on a 20 year cycle reviving to replenish its energy before retiring to its den to sleep for another 20 years. Usually requires the deaths of 3 victims before satisfaction. Said to be around 6 feet, well muscled with large jaws and sharp teeth. Known to spit venom if attacked which could paralyse attackers leaving them helpless. Ways to kill - use instruments made of lead to disable and decapitation. They were both armed with lead bullets and a large knife made of lead.   
Both brothers had planned the hunt and were confident of being as well prepared as possible although they knew that every hunt threw up unexpected eventualities.  
Suddenly Dean stopped, holding up his hand to warn his brother. Sam stopped and looked around Deans shoulder to see what had caught his attention. They had come to a small clearing, a cave opening on the far side. Sam held his breath as he saw a dark shape leaning against the side of the mouth of the cave. It was the Gorkan and it appeared to be sleeping.  
Dean indicated silently in a well practised manoeuver and Sam slipped his gun from his pocket moving slowly so as not to attract the attention of the beast. Stealthily Dean raised his gun and gestured for Sam to go right and he would go left. They used the cover of the trees to mask their movements watching the Gorkan for any signs of awareness. They moved steadily towards their target and when Dean was in range he prepared to take the shot. Glancing at Sam across the clearing he gave a hand gesture and counted down silently 3, 2, 1. As if suddenly becoming aware of the danger, the Gorkan opened its eyes and moved and Deans bullet glanced harmlessly off the rock wall a couple of inches from his head. Sam fired his gun and the bullet lodged in the Gorkans chest. In rage and pain it reared up and turned towards the tall dark hunter opening its mouth to roar loudly. Sam saw Dean running shooting further bullets into it’s back, trying to take the creature down. The tall hunter threw himself to the side as he saw a spray of liquid emerge from the Gorkans mouth and he felt the wetness soak the back of his head as he rolled away. Bringing his gun up, he shot the rest of the clip into the beast before feeling his responses begin to dull. A loud cry and swing of the lead knife ended the life of the Gorkan, it’s head rolling away from it’s falling body.  
Sam, it’s final victim, fell to his side, his muscles refusing to carry him and he felt Dean drop to his knees beside him.  
“Sammy” he cried. “Speak to me”.  
“Venom got me” he muttered.  
He felt himself pulled sideways and heard his brother curse as he saw the sticky liquid coating the back of his head. Sam’s grip on the world was beginning to fade.   
“Don’t worry, Cas will know what to do.” were the last desperate words he heard.

Back to now

Dean lifted Sams hand to check his pulse and was pleased to see that the atrophied muscles were now much more pliant. The pulse was strong and it looked like his brother was going to be ok - except for one small after effect.  
Disturbed by the movement, Sam began to rise from his slumber and as he opened his eyes he was unsurprised to see Dean sat at the side of him, hand in his.  
“Hey” he said, voice rusty.  
“Hey Sammy” replied Dean, giving his hand a squeeze. “Welcome back. You’ve been out for a full day”.  
Sam grimaced at the ache in his muscles. His body felt like it’d run a marathon. He nodded his thanks as Dean helped him sit up and handed him a glass of water and unconsciously brushed the hair out of his eyes and took a sip.  
“Thanks. What’s the damage?”  
“You tell me. How do you feel?”  
“Like I’ve run 26 miles 365 yards. Every muscle in my body is aching.”  
“Yeah, Gorkan venom will do that. You were paralysed and I had to carry you back to the car. Luckily your breathing wasn’t affected because it hit your back not your front.. Cas managed to get rid of the effects of the venom.”  
Sam nodded, grateful again for the Angels talents.  
Dean hesitated, dreading having to tell the rest of the story to Sam.  
“There is one tiny problem.”  
Sam looked up in concern. “Anything I need to worry about?”  
He was worried to see Dean not meeting his eyes.  
“Dean. Whatever it is, tell me.”  
“Now I don’t want you to panic. There is a way of getting round it.”  
“Dean, you’re scaring me now. Just tell me.”  
“When the venom hit you, it had an effect that we didn’t know about?”  
“What?”  
Dean took a mirror from the side table. “It’s best if I show you.” He held up the mirror to the young hunter and Sam screamed.

“I’m sorry, Cas and I did everything we could but we couldn’t change it back.”  
Sam gazed in horror at the image before him. His long dark hair was now a sickly lurid shade of green.  
“Tell me this is a joke Dean” he demanded and saw his brother shake his head.   
“I’m sorry Sam. I know how much you love your hair.”  
Sam examined the hair, pulling strands in front of the mirror.  
“How, why ..?” he stuttered.  
“Cas says it’s the venom. He said the chemicals have interacted with the hair shaft and there is nothing he can do to change it.”  
“I can’t have hair this colour Dean” cried Sam “No-one will take me seriously”.  
Dean nodded, understanding completely his brothers anguish. Sams obsession with his hair was a joke between them but he knew that he would be seriously messed up with this situation.  
“There is one solution” he ventured which drew his brothers attention to him. “But you’re probably not going to like it.”  
“What Dean” demanded Sam, pinning him with his gaze.  
Cas says that if you shave it all off, your new hair will grow normally again. It’s only the hair shaft on the outside that is affected.”  
Sam cried out “Shave my head. Are you serious?”  
Dean nodded. “Deadly serious. It’s the only way to stop you from looking like a sick leprechaun”.  
“Get Cas in here now” growled Sam.  
Dean left and returned shortly with the Angel at his side.  
“Dean says I need to shave my head to fix this”.  
“I’m sorry Sam. We did everything we could to remedy the situation but that is the only solution.”  
All fight left Sam then as he threw himself back against the pillows.  
“I guess I don’t have a choice” he muttered.  
“A change of image does you good every so often” quipped Dean. “Look at it as a fresh start.”  
Sam glared at him and Dean held his hands up in surrender.  
“Ok, if that’s the only way I guess I’ll have to get it done” he said slowly, “but you’re going to have to do it for me. My arms are shaking and I know you’ll do a better job of it than me.”  
Cas came to Sams side and said “I truly am sorry but I can assure you that when your hair grows again, it will be as perfect as it was yesterday morning.”  
“Do you realise how long it takes a humans hair to grow. We’re talking about at least a couple of years to get it back to yesterday” said Sam darkly.  
“Oh” said Castiel simply. “However, short dark hair will be better than green Sam.”  
Dean nodded. “He’s right Sammy. Although I must say that all your lady friends will be very unhappy”.  
“Just like me then.”  
“How are you feeling, do you want to rest up or get it done?”.  
“Let’s just get this over with.”  
Dean got up and moved away. “Ok, I’ll set up everything in the bathroom and we’ll get you de-kermited.”  
He swiftly exited the room as Sam threw a pillow in his direction.

It didn’t take long but Sam kept his eyes resolutely shut as Dean shaved all the hair off and he felt it falling around his shoulders to the floor.   
“This is a nightmare, let me wake up now.” he murmured but when he felt a clap on his shoulder and an “all finished Sam”, he opened his eyes to see a sea of green hair surrounding the chair. Shakily, he rose to his feet and looked in the mirror. All traces of hair had gone and he was now as bald as a coot.  
He turned as he felt Deans hand on his shoulder.  
“It’ll grow Sammy. It’s only hair.”  
“It’s more than that Dean. It’s my identity. That is a stranger looking back at me.”  
“No it’s not. It is Sam Winchester, ace hunter extraordinaire. Hair does not maketh the man.”  
Sam shrugged and pulled his eyes away from the mirror.  
“I’ll never get used to it.”  
Dean rubbed his hand on his depressed brothers shoulder.  
“We'll buy you a beanie hat.”   
“Oh yeah, that’ll work in the height of summer”.  
Dean shrugged. “I’m sorry Sam I wish there was something I could do to help you. It’ll start sprouting soon enough.”  
Sam frowned. “Then I’ll look like I’ve just got out of jail.”  
“Some chicks like the dark and dangerous kind of look.”  
The look that his brother gave him made him step back slightly.  
“Look, we live in a library of lore, there must be some magic hair growing spell in one of the books. Why don’t you do some research instead of thinking of ways to hurt me.” he said hastily.  
Sam nodded slowly. “Good idea. But first I need to eat, I’m starving.”

As Sam ate a quickly made sandwich Dean stood next to Castiel.  
“Is he going to be ok - there won’t be any long term effects of the Gorkan venom on him will there?”  
“No Dean” Castiel assured him. “The venom is mainly a short term way to disable the victim, not necessarily to kill. The Gorkan has teeth and claws for that.”  
“Do you think there is some spell that can make his hair grow quicker?”  
Cas nodded. “Perhaps, although I am not aware of one myself.”  
Dean swept his hand round the library. “Well he’s got a multitude of Men of Letters research to go through. Even if he doesn’t find anything, it’ll take the pressure off us for a few days.”  
The angel nodded. He did not quite understand the humans obsession with appearance but he did feel sorry that his friend was obviously badly affected. He resolved to help Sam to see if any of his contacts would be able to offer any advice. Hopefully it would not take too long for Sam to regain his long luscious locks.


End file.
